Crystal River current. [volume] (Crystal, Colo.) 1886-18??, 1887-08-06
wild Days In California.

Wild Days In California. \.
N. Y. Mail.
An old Californian, a genuine forty
miner, who isspending few days in
the city, remarked, whom no saw an
account OF the burning of the big no.
tel at Del Monte, in his state, recently,
that he had no doubt it was the work
of Anarchists, because it was the
property of q railroad corporation.
The frequency OF similar crimes by an.
archists, especially in California,
would soon necessitate a repetition OF
the vigilance COMMITTEES work of 1856.
"The work OF that committee" he
added, "saVed the st ate. The lawless
element must be again taught a severe
lesson, and believe it must begin in
California, for it is worst there to-
day. DO remember the work of the
Vigilance Committee of 1856? Well,
i should say SO. i was right on the
spot. Thousands of dollars had been
distributed among the rough element
to influence the election for Mayor.
Murder, riot and arson wero common.
A few days before the election I was
sitting in one of the leading hotels OF
San Francisco DR.. Randall; a popular
physician entered and went tothe coun.
ter. As he stood there an English
lnoney-lender. named Hetherington, a
desperate fellow, entered and. with
out word. stepped directly up to
the doctor and drove long knife al
most to the hilt into his left breast.
1t was instant death and one OF the
most cold-blooded murders ever COM
mitted in the city. Hetherington was
Orraaf oil v,v<, NJ o,,1 fba 1CI,k he
was hanged by the Vigilance Com
mittee on the open street. 1t seemed
that the doctor, owed Hetherington
some money and had refused or delay.
edpayment. Hetherington was worth
over 500. 900. and had murdered an
other doctor some time before. He
got free by paying 81, 200.
But this example was not sufficient
to put a stop to the lawlessness, and
the committee decided that something
more decisive must be done. Jack
Hayes was the sheriff then. He was
sent out of the city on a false scent.
The committee then went to the Jail
and took out seven murderers, hus.
tied them to q gallows erected on the
street and strung every one of them
up. remember when the committee
was being quietly formed two desper-
ate characters tried to kill me in court.
Two OF my friends. big, strong, muscu-
lar fellows, stepped up and cowed the
desperadoes by showing fight. Then
l suggested to the judge that my as
sailants should be bound over to keep
the peace. This was done ard they
gave bonda&6Gt FOLLOWED me to my
office. They said they wahted to talk
with me. When we reached my rooms
they said they heard had influence
with the Vigilance Committee that
was then being organized and
fearing that they would be hanged,
they wanted me to save them. They
promised to behave themselves and
the next day succeeded in eaving
their necks. l remember that when
the committee went to get the seven
murderers they found o woman in the
Jail who had kept grocery store in
the cellar of which number of skele-
tons had been found, believed to be
those of murdered persons. The com.
mittce was undecided WEATHER to
hang her with the others. Finally, as
there was some doubt about her, hav-
ing actually committed murder,
though there was no doubt she had
been an accessory to more than one,
it was decided to send her adrift on
the ocean in small boat. After the
lnen had been disposed OF she was
@aksn to the shore and put in boat.
Some provisions were put in with her,
and she had on her person $4,000
in money. Then the boat was sent
adrift. i don't know what became OF
her. She was never heard OF after
wards I believe, though imagine it
possible her friends followed her along
the coast and rescued her."